Henry Ford's Project Failures In Fordlandia

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INTRO
Henry Ford's project failures as displayed in readings from Fordlandia revolved around the intersection between two opposed ways of seeing, being, thinking and acting. The two intersecting perspectives were of the "Ford way" and the other being the Amazonian epistemology. These two different epistemologies created so much tension that one of them were forced to yield. This conflicting overlap brings fourth the question of whether Ford failures with Fordlandia resulted from the standpoint of nature, or if the defeat was considered more of a cultural issue. With Ford's incorporation of industrial capitalism and his arrogance to reject the use of professionals in his projects, we are able to witness and identify how the failures at Fordlandia came about, and how nature overcame his forceful attempt to reshape nature.

Shawn Miller's 2007 book titled An Environmental History of Latin America glances through the history of Latin America and traces the interactions between nature and culture. Miller embraces four key factors: population, technology, and attitudes toward nature and consumption. The focus remained on Spanish and Portuguese-speaking societies and the chronological changes in Latin America's history. Through the seven chapters, Miller commits one chapter to analyze how humans have utilized environment to serve their purposes, and another chapter to demonstrate how nature has disrupted the demands of humankind. By doing so, Miller is able to further his explanation of the metaphorical theatre drama which he states, "For the drama to be complete, we must cast both nature and culture in the roles of protagonist, for each have dealt the other health and sickness, aid and harm, and life an death" (p. 2). Miller conclude...

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...o the region" (p. 299). Grandin goes on to say, "Thus rubber trees in the Amazon grow best when they are relatively far removed from each other, about two or three to the acre, slowing the propagation and spread of fungi and bugs that feed off their leaves" (p. 299).

NATURE TRIUMPHED OVER CULTURE
Greg Grandin's story revolves around Henry Ford's drive to shape the world(s) around him according to his values and visions and Grandin describes the failure of Fordlandia as a "parable of arrogance", but not all through Henry Ford's dream of Americanizing the Amazon. Rather, the "parable of arrogance" is, "not that Henry Ford thought that he could tame the Amazon but that he believed that the forces of capitalism, once released, could still be contained" (p. 356). The Amazon, filled with stories of human misery, inspired Henry Ford, but its complex ecology defeated him.

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